New Life and Second Chances
by Potters-wayward-tardis
Summary: "The lion will call, the wolf will hear, a reunion of sorrow for all who are near. The doors will close, the foe is gone, until alas, there is but one." Divination is the one subject Hermione hated most. But now she must take a leap of faith to save the one she loves. But which brother will be left at the end of the day?
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N:**_ Hello my beautiful readers! So I have had this idea stuck in my head for a little while, and decided to try it out. It's a crossover fic, and I've never written a crossover before. So I'm sorry if it sucks, but I'm trying. I know this isn't the most popular crossover or pairing, but if you happen to find this and like it feel free to leave reviews, thanks! Oh and this is before Chuck mysteriously disappears and Lisa doesn't exist. This is a UA not an AU. So there will be some Universe Alterations but it is still mostly the same universe. I just had to change enough details for it to work with my story. Not sure when I'll post the next chapter, but good reviews are a good motivator.

_**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own Supernatural or Harry Potter.

_Dean smiled at the pretty brunette holding his hand. They had known each other for five years, and dated for the better part of four of those years. She knew the story of Sam and Dean, how the brothers would risk their lives to hunt all that goes bump in the night. As for her and Sam, It didn't take long for the two nerds to strike up a friendship with each other. They both told about their lives, explaining to the other what they considered reality, and were eager to hear about the other's world. She was the one who brought Sam and Dean closer together. Sure, they were already pretty close before considering Dean practically raised his kid brother, John disappearing for days at a time and all that. But they would still lie to each other often and got into stupid fights, like all brothers eventually do. But once the witch entered those hunter's lives the relationship between the brothers visibly improved. She always said how she hated conflict, seeing as how she had helped put an end to a rather important one hardly over a year ago. If they ever quarreled around her they would instantly feel guilty and resolve it quickly, not wanting her to feel stuck in the middle and torn between her friends._

_They first met in New York, at a small restaurant near central park. Sam, Dean, and John were working a case, so far they had no luck. There were rumors about some sort of something that went around taking people's souls or something of that nature, but they were at a dead end as far as catching and killing the creature. Dean was twenty, as was she. Sam had just turned seventeen. She was sitting at the booth behind the boys, talking on her cell phone in hushed whispers. Dean's ears perked up when he heard her say something about the hunt they were working on. After she hung up Dean took out one of his many fake I.D.'s and told her he needed to ask a few questions. She knew a lot more about the events than a normal person and even though she didn't say it, Dean could tell she knew that the boys were working on something else and that they weren't really F.B.I. But for her to blow their cover she would have to blow hers, and Dean could tell she did not want to do that. At least not right now._

_On their third day in New York he saw her again. Dean was taking a walk at night as an attempt to relieve some stress after a fight with Sammy. Dumb kid kept talking about running off to college when he was old enough. Even had the audacity to have one picked out and have applications filled out. Dean just couldn't wrap his head around it, how could Sam do that to him? After everything they had been through as a family, and with dad promising he was getting closer to finding a lead on what had killed mom, and he was just going to bail on them now? Leave it all behind for some prestigious school?_

_Dean stopped his stroll, frozen in his tracks. The creature the boys were hunting had gotten to her. They had never seen or heard of anything like it before, nor had they known of anyone who did. And they sure as hell didn't know how to kill it. It was cloaked in a torn black robe and hovered above the ground. Its skeletal hand reached out and turned her face towards it. It was unlike anything the hunter had ever witnessed and he was at a loss for what to do. The monster looked like it was trying to suck her face off. Dean started running towards it planning on tackling it, he had to do something to save her. Even if it would merely distract the beast, that would hopefully give her a few seconds to run and escape. Right before he reached the creature the girl took a stick out of her pocket and a bright blue light exploded from the tip. It took the form of an otter and chased it away before the girl collapsed._

_Dean rushed to her side and grabbed her around the waist, successfully preventing her from colliding with the cold concrete path. She looked like she was about to faint with her pale face and fluttering eyes, unable to chose between open and closed._

"_Chocolate…get me chocolate… please." Her voice was hoarse, trembling with effort as she begged for the treat. It was a strange request but nevertheless Dean obeyed. He ran out of the park and into the nearest shop and got her a chocolate bar. He was back within ten minutes, panting from all the running._

_Within a few seconds of eating the chocolate she seemed a lot better. The color had returned to her face and she looked a lot more stable, less likely to pass out on him at any rate. "Now, you wanna explain to me what the hell just happened?" Dean tried to make his voice sound gentle despite the confusion he was feeling. To be honest he was kind of freaking out. He had never seen or heard of that thing before but somehow this seemingly ordinary girl could make it go away with a blue glowing otter?_

_She shook her head in response to the question. Dean understood, she wouldn't tell him out here where just anyone could hear them speak. This was a secret that needed protecting, not one to be careless with. Besides, enemies had eyes everywhere. Dean took her back to the hotel the three Winchesters were staying at. The two were alone for the moment, Sam and John were out who knows where. Probably a library for the former and a bar for the latter. Dean figured now was as good a time as any to get her to talk. "Now what happened out there?"_

_She opened her mouth to answer, but just then Sammy came walking through the door and spotted the couple. He groaned. "You couldn't at least have gotten a different room? I don't want to have to listen to you two all night."_

"_It's not what it looks like Sam. She isn't a one night stand. She is….Something. And there was … something attacking her. She did something and made the something go away and then chocolate made it better."_

_Sam stared at his older brother like he was crazy. And maybe he was. For all Dean knew with what he saw this girl could be some sort of supernatural creature. And he had done the only logical thing and invited her inside for a game of share and tell. But He didn't think she was, at least, she didn't give off that "evil monster" vibe. He took Sam by the arm and led him over to the other side of the hotel room and tried to explain what he had seen in the best detail he could._

"_Well how did she get rid of it?" Sam whispered, causing his brother to shrug "Dean she could be dangerous." Sam glared at Dean and he glared back, silently daring him to do anything to the girl. Innocent until proven guilty and all that. Of course John would probably be pissed that the boys hadn't done any of the usual tests on her yet with the holy water or silver blade, but somehow Dean knew that it wouldn't do anything. Why mark up such beautiful skin for no reason?_

"_You two, you're the F.B.I from a few days ago aren't you? Mr. Perry and Mr. Tyler correct?" she asked slightly uneasily, trying to break the tension and interrupt the looks the brothers were shooting at each other. They walked back to where she was sitting on the bed and took a seat on either side of her._

_Dean scratched the back of his neck. After a bit of thought he decided that with what she just went through she deserved the truth. "Yeah, here's the thing. We aren't really F.B.I, we are hunters. This is my brother Sam Winchester, and I'm Dean Winchester. We travel the country and pick fights with monsters and perform exorcisms on ghosts." He paused, waiting for her to say something like '_that's impossible, those things don't exist._' But she just nodded as she took this in. It kind of scared Sam and Dean that she didn't seem the least bit worried or startled. Perhaps she was a hunter as well? It made sense, how else would she have been able to get rid of that thing? And that cold look in her brown eyes told the brothers she had seen many horrors over her years._

_Sam placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "That thing that was after you, it must have been some kind of demon. It might try to attack you again, these things like revenge. I don't know how you got rid of it, but it will come back. But don't worry, we will destroy it. You will be safe; you just have to do what we tell you until it is gone."_

_She started giggling at that, soon turning into uncontrollable laughter. Sam and Dean shot a look at her, both of them thinking she was crazy. She noticed the looks soon enough and calmed down enough to explain. "That thing wasn't a demon. It's called a Dementor. It vanishes all happy thoughts and makes the air colder around it. It sucks your soul from your body, that's how it feeds."_

"_Sure sounds a lot like a demon to me." Dean murmured to no one in particular._

"_And how do you know all this? Are you a hunter as well? How did you get rid of it?" Sam's voice wasn't accusing, it was genially curious. He knew that there was something inhuman about this girl, but she didn't seem like the demon type._

_She shook her head. "No, I'm not a hunter. I've never even met a demon; the closest I have been to them have been through pages in a book. And all the ghosts I've ever met have been nice. Well except for Peeves, but he's a poltergeist so I guess its okay. And he wasn't really truly evil, just annoying. I'm a witch." She took out her wand and showed the brothers the source of her magic. She must have noticed the uneasy glances Sam and Dean shot at each other because she quickly defended herself. "I'm a good witch though. I'm not one of the devil worshiping, human sacrificing, dark magic witches that you have probably encountered and killed. My kind, the real kind, we channel our magic through a wand, and no one needs to die for us to perform it. I was born with it, like everyone else that went to my school. We go to school at age eleven so we can learn how to control our magic and use it for good."_

"_If you're not the evil kind, then how come you know so much about them?" Dean's voice was a little skeptical. He wasn't sure if he could fully trust her yet, but at the same time he didn't want to jump to conclusions and have her hating them. She would be a dangerous enemy, and she could be very useful ally to the hunters if she truly was good. Dean could tell Sam was thinking along the same lines as him because his brother's face was cautious. although both of them managed to control themselves and not snap and toss holy water in her face._

"_I'm a bookworm, I do my research." She responded. "Plus I'm a transfer auror, meaning I go around the world tracking the bad witches and wizards and bringing them into the Ministry of Magic for trial. I had to know what I might be up against in America." Normally the boys wouldn't have waited so long to kill her; she was a witch after all. But something about her told them to at least hear her out before deciding to kill her or spare her. Dean could tell Sam felt it too._

_She went on to explain about how things worked in her world, the school, the government, everyday life. She explained how she and her two best friends had been fighting this evil wizard Voldemort and how they defeated him just a couple years ago and how the ministry was practically begging her to be an auror. She described different spells and potions and their uses. She told them about the goblins and house elves, dementors and death eaters, trolls and werewolves. She showed the boys her purse that held all of her belongings so she always had everything with her. Even Dean had to admit that expansion charm was pretty impressive. Everything was so much different in her world than theirs. _

_It took her a good few hours to explain her life story, but by the end both the boys were glad they hadn't killed her on the spot. Of course they took a few precautions, using holy water in her tea and the devils trap under the rug which she stepped out of easily. Dean could tell she was good, and she was so open about everything, proving to the brothers that they could trust her, that she had nothing to hide or lie about._

_In return the Winchesters told her of their lives. How their mother had died and John becoming obsessed with hunting the supernatural until he killed what had murdered Mary. How they were raised to defend themselves and kill anything even remotely evil with a drop of supernatural blood in it. They told her about the lonely life of a hunter, always on the move and having no place to truly call home. They told her how they had saved people and how they learned everything from their dad and their 'uncle' Bobby._

_She offered to help the boys with this case because she had come here to get the Dementor and return it to the ministry. Someone, the identity was still unknown, had released it and it was this witches mission to collect the Dementor and return it to the tight clutches of the Ministry. The boys agreed because they didn't know what they were dealing with or what to do with them. Apparently there was no known way to kill a Dementor in the wizarding world._

_It was far into the night and the next morning's dawn was already threatening to break upon the horizon by the time they had all told their perspective basic back stories, so the trio decided to continue after a few decent hours of sleep. Dean let her sleep in his bed and moved over to the couch. She did a few spells to enlarge it and make it as comfortable as a bed in return. The hunter had a feeling she would be sticking around after this case was over. But maybe that was just his own personal hopes clouding his judgment. For the first time in a long while Dean fell asleep with a smile upon his face._

_John was the last person to learn to trust her, but after a few weeks he grew to love her as his own daughter. She was helpful and a great fighter, with or without her wand. She was clever in a crisis and always had an answer when the boys didn't have a clue. She had been traveling with the hunters for a while and so far everything was running smoothly. After sending a letter (Which she delivered by owl much to all of their surprise) to the Ministry of Magic saying she resigned, she decided to stay with the Winchesters permanently. Sam and Dean fought less, and when they did she always helped the brothers to find a common ground. She helped the boys save many lives, and saved them many times as well. Sometimes the Winchesters, Dean mostly, would find themselves wondering what they would have done if they hadn't met her. One, if not all three of them, would surely be dead. Having a powerful witch on your side sure did help your chances of survival. She saved the family of hunters in more ways than just saving their lives._

_Everything was great, until Sam decided to leave them. He had been accepted into Stanford with a full scholarship, having taken multiple online classes between hunts. He had met and fallen in love with a beautiful blond named Jessica, and he wanted to go to college with her and be normal. Have a normal life. Dean was pissed at him. After everything they had gone through, he was going to leave. Just like that. He wasn't just talking about it anymore like a fantasy; he was actually going to go through with it. Pretend nothing had happened and go live a normal happy life. This was the one time that she couldn't find a way to make Sam and Dean get along. There was no common ground. He was giving up on them. Giving up on his own brother. After everything Dean had done for the kid to be the best big brother in the world, this is what he gets in return. For him to just up and leave like nothing they had been through meant anything at all._

_Of course most of Dean's anger came from jealousy. He was jealous his brother was able to find a way out. He was jealous Sam had found happiness with some chick and they were willing to build a life together when Dean couldn't do more than a night or two with each girl he was with. He was jealous that Sam was able to go live a normal life. He was jealous because he knew that no matter how hard he tried he would never get out. He was a soldier, someone who blindly followed orders and felt lost without a commander. Nothing more._

_Sam gave her the option to go with him, she was Sam's best friend and she got along great with Jess. She was certainly smart enough to get into college. But she couldn't go, or at least she chose not to. She chose to stay with Dean instead. Saving people, helping the cause, fighting for what she believes in, that's where she belonged. She couldn't let go of everything just because she needed a break. She would keep helping people if it killed her. That was one of the things Dean admired most about her, that selfless talent that she always managed to put everyone else's needs above her own well being._

_Shortly after Sam left the group, Dean came to realize something. He realized why he had wanted her to choose to stay with him instead of going with Sam. He knew why he admired her so much and tried so hard to protect her. Dean was in love with her. He probably had been all this time, but he had refused to admit it. Everyone he cared about ends up hurt, or dead. And Dean couldn't let that happen to her, he simply wouldn't allow it. He probably would have never told her, if it weren't for her almost dying on him once. Sure, they placed themselves in life or death situations on a daily basis, but this time it was different. She was on the brink of death, hardly holding on by a thread. It was far too close a call for Dean's liking. Once she was completely healed and restored to full health Dean allowed himself to admit how little time they had. That at any second she could be taken away from him. He didn't want that to happen without her at least knowing he was in love with her. He had to take that chance. As it turned out, she was in love with him as well._

_For a while, they were happy. Four years the fates permitted them to stay together. She still kept in touch with Sam via cell phone and email, but Dean refused to speak to his brother since their last big blow out fight. Dean was still mad at him for choosing school over family._

_Dean knew he loved her, and he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. She was everything Dean could ever need or ask for plus more. He talked to his father, saying him he planned on proposing. John wasn't stupid, he could read the signs. He knew his son and the witch had found love and solace within each other. It was only a matter of time before something like this happened. But he was still a little weary; with all that was happening when would they have time for a wedding? John had long since gotten over not trusting her because of her magical gift and she had been around long enough to be considered one of them. But making it official with an unbreakable bond like marriage went against everything he had trained himself to believe. Eventually he seemed to realize he wouldn't win this one, so he begrudgingly gave the kids his blessing._

_Dean grabbed her small hand and pulled her into a small restaurant in New York. She giggled. "Dean, what's going on?"_

"_I told you, we are taking the day off. We need a small break, and after everything we have done and been through recently I think we deserve a day off." She just smiled and followed the hunter in. They sat down and had a nice lunch. Smiling, laughing, no worries of the creatures in nightmares, just a carefree normal couple on a date. When they had finished their meal Dean paid the tab with his hard earned pool hustled money, leaving a generous tip, and the two walked out of the cafe hand in hand. "Remember this place? This is where we first met. We even sat at the exact booth."_

_She simply looked into his eyes, smiled, and said, "I know," before pecking him on the lips._

_Dean grabbed both her hands and leaned in close, whispering into her ear. "Close your eyes. Empty your mind." She had taught Dean about side along apparition, how to focus the mind and think only of where you wanted to go. They practiced it to perfection, relying on her magic and his destination place. It had even managed to save their life on a few of their hunts, when she was too wounded or weak to do much more than expel a bit of magic, just enough for Dean to get them out of immediate danger._

_When she opened her eyes the couple was standing on the top of a foothill in Colorado. It was a nice view, overlooking the Rocky Mountains with a great view of one particular mountain, Devil's Head. The locals had nicknamed it The Sleeping Indian, for that is what it took the shape of, but Dean preferred to call it Mr. Hard On because there was a bit of the rock that rose to look like a boner. They stayed there for hours, sitting and cuddling and wasting time. They watched the sun start descending in the sky until it hid behind the mountains in the west, painting the sky with pink and orange, blending the colors beautifully. It totally was not a chick flick moment._

"_This is where we had our first kiss." Dean whispered as he held her closer to himself. She turned her face towards him and leaned in for a sweet, soft kiss. Like their first it was long and lingering, full of so much emotion. But this time they were both more sure of themselves, more confident with the situation. This was normal now; they were a part of each other._

_The next stop was an olive garden in Vermont. They had a good dinner, filling up mostly on their famous breadsticks and trademark salad. "This is where we went for our first date."_

"_Oh please," she protested, rolling her eyes. "That doesn't count. It was ruined halfway through by that pair of Vetala. Anytime we go out in public we never catch a break from monsters."_

"_I asked you out, you said yes, the first half was great, and we both came out alive. A bit scratched and bloody but alive. I count it as a successful first date." The woman rolled her eyes once more, but smiled nonetheless. He made her happy, simple as that._

_After leaving the restaurant, she closed her eyes again. After the familiar feeling of the tug in her gut had passed she opened her eyes to find that they appeared in the lobby of an expensive hotel. Luckily none of the guests seemed to notice their sudden appearance. Dean stepped behind her, hugging her from behind, and kissed her neck softly. "This is the place where I first told you I love you, and where you told me you love me." She let out a sigh of contentment as she leaned back into Dean's strong arms. She couldn't help but smile as she remembered that day._

_The sun was long gone by now, letting the cloudless night shine with all its constellations. But the sky was nowhere near as remarkable as the building before them. The architecture was a work of art on its own, and the woman couldn't help but stare open mouthed at it for a few seconds as she recognized where they were. "The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library. I told you once I wanted to come here, visit and check it out. I can't believe you remembered that. B-but the rest of the locations have been to places that we went to before. You and me, we've never gone to Canada before..." She rambled, trying to make sense of why Dean had taken them here._

_Dean smiled at her excitement. Of course he knew she would be overjoyed, but he still loved the feeling of being the reason for that smile on her face. "Just shut up and enjoy it. It'll make sense soon enough. Now come on, let's get inside before you freeze."_

_She didn't need to be told that twice. She sprinted to the doors, shooting a look behind her at the boyfriend as a challenge to race._

"_No fair!" Dean protested as he ran after her. "You got a head start! That's cheating."_

_At the door they stopped to regain their breaths. "Yeah well you have longer legs so it evens out. Either way, I still won."_

"_Did not. It was a tie."_

_She seemed to be able to accept that because she turned her attention to the door before her. After a quick and simple unlocking spell the heavy door swung open, the warm air being a pleasant welcome to the intruders._

_She glanced around in awe, taking a moment to simply take in the multitude of books. And this was just the first part; she knew for certain there were other sections and rooms that were decorated with many other old and valuable books. "Wow." She let out a breath, unable to form a coherent sentence. It might not have had the magic of the Hogwarts Library she loved so fiercely, but this place was definitely extravagant and breathtaking on its own. Dean had to agree, even if he didn't get a hard on over a stack of books, this place was pretty incredible._

_Library hours were nine in the morning to five in the evening, so they had the entire place to themselves. Not even the librarians or cleaning crew hung around here this late into the night; they did have lives after all. The girl darted through the towering bookshelves, squealing with delight as she ran her dainty finger amongst many of the book's spines. She enchanted a chair to float so she could reach the books on the very top shelves several feet above the ground, so high that even Sammy would need a ladder to be able to access them. Grabbing one that presumably hadn't been opened in ages judging by the layer of dust coating it; she flipped to the middle and put it right up to her nose, inhaling deeply. The aroma of old inked pages always worked as a type of therapy to the brilliant witch._

_Dean smiled to himself as he saw her face light up in a giddy expression, it had been far too long since she had been this happy and relaxed. Sure, she was always beautiful. But when she smiled like that, a real smile straight from the heart about something she was passionate about, she was breathtaking. It didn't happen that often, considering they were constantly fighting for their future. That's another downfall of being a hunter, not much vacation days. _

_Dean could almost pretend they were normal, just an ordinary pair of lovers breaking into some empty or abandoned building to make their significant other smile like that. Of course they would try to not fall into the whole horror movie stereotype, where they go into a haunted place just for shits and giggles to prove to their friends that "I'm not scared of anything so let's spend the night and split up so we can totally not get killed." Then again, their whole life was a horror movie. They hunted ghosts and monsters for a living. Who does that? But whenever they went somewhere that didn't feel right they usually knew exactly what they were heading into and how to kill it._

_So it was times like this that the eldest Winchester brother treasured. The few occasions that they weren't fighting for their lives and facing nightmares. When they could just spend time together and be happy without worrying what tomorrow might bring. This was Dean's favorite part, just watching her and falling in love all over again._

_After a decent amount of time had passed, the vast majority of the adrenaline seemed to have left her system and she was starting to calm down. She skipped back to where Dean had sat down and she plopped herself into his lap._

"_Thank you for bringing me here." She whispered softly as she brushed her lips across his cheek chastely. She pulled back, her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. Her warm brown orbs searched his green ones for an answer. "But I still don't get it. Why are we here? All the places we went to today, they had a meaning to us. But this one was just a fantasy, and even then it was more mine than yours."_

"_That's because even though we haven't been here yet, I hope this place will mean something good to us. This is the place where I tell you that I love you and can't live without you. This is the place where I ask you to be mine forever." Dean gently lifted her off his lap and held her hand as he got on one knee before her. He pulled the ring out of the box and slipped it on her finger. He watched as her eyes widened in surprise, what he was doing finally dawning on her. "This is the place where I ask you to marry me. With this job, my family has been through a lot. I have been through a lot. But you, you are the only thing keeping me going; you are the light at the end of the tunnel. Hermione Jean Granger, I love you. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?"_

_Tears filled her eyes as she looked down at him. Dean had just enough time to stand up before she threw herself into his strong arms. "Yes." The answer was soft, only a whisper. But at the moment it was the only thing she was able to say, she was so overwhelmed with joy that she couldn't bring herself to say much more. Instead she showed the hunter how she felt by kissing him deeply and passionately. And just for those few seconds, both of them could have sworn that everything was perfect._

Dean woke with a start. That was five years ago. He had tried so hard not to remember her. The aching in his chest was still painfully fresh every time he thought of her. How she was brutally torn away from him mere weeks before the wedding. Ever sense that demon took her away from him, Dean had vowed to never fall in love again. He didn't need any more pain. He always leaves before things get anywhere near serious. He went for one night stands, not actual relationships. Of course he didn't think she was dead, but he knows he will never see her again. Just like he would never see his father again, who had promised to walk her down the aisle but was now dead because of Yellow Eyes. This life really made a person give up far too much.

"Bout time you woke up. It's your turn to drive." Sam turned his attention away from the road and onto his brother. Sam was driving the Impala. _Dean's_ car. Why was Sam behind the wheel again? Oh right. The boys were in a hurry because Chuck the so called _profit of the Lord_ had a dream about someone dying so he decided to call up the Winchesters and make them go on a wild goose chase to find some chick that was in danger. Apparently Sam thought they couldn't spare enough time to get a decent night's sleep at a motel. Dean was all for saving people, honest, but he knew they wouldn't be that much use to anyone if they were half asleep the whole time they worked this case.

Sam had pulled over to the side of the road so the brothers could switch places. As Dean got in the driver's seat he starts talking without looking at Sam. "I dreamt about her again."

He didn't have to say who for Sam to know who his brother was talking about. Sam knew the two had been in love but they never told him they were getting married. Dean was still angry at his brother for running away and leaving behind his family for college when proposed to her. When Dean broke into Sam and Jessica's apartment demanding his help to find John, Sam had been surprised not to see her there with his brother. But apparently Dean's glare was enough to let him know not to bring it up just yet. It took Dean until the Bloody Mary incident to finally tell his brother exactly what had happened. After Sam confessed what happened to Jessica, Dean shared his own story of what happened to that beautiful and clever witch.

"Again? That's the third time this week. Why are you all of a sudden remembering her? You haven't mentioned her in years and you refused to talk about her, and now suddenly you can't stop dreaming about her?" The pain is still fresh in Sam's eyes. She was his best, and one of his only friends before it happened after all.

"I never forgot about her." Dean defended himself sternly. "I just try not to think about her." Sam nods in understanding. He knows how his brother feels. He cared for her a lot too. They both have to try to bury the pain.

"So who are we trying to save? What information do we have?" Dean tried to change the subject.

"A girl, mid twenties, brown hair. As far as I know from my research, she is the first to die by this demon or ghost or whatever it is. Chuck said in his dream he didn't get a chance to see her face all that well, all he knows is she is a pretty brunette in her twenties with brown eyes. Something came up behind her and killed her. A bunch of deep gashes just appeared all over her body, she was bleeding out. Then the thing disappeared. He didn't get to see what it was, but considering it was a dream from a profit, I'm sure it was something of the supernatural. Those kinds of cuts just don't appear naturally. She was the first, so I couldn't find any pattern."

Dean nodded, taking it all in. He could tell there was something his brother wasn't telling him, but he didn't try and push it. Not yet at least. That description of the girl was far too familiar, but Dean forced himself not to dwell on the details and to stop thinking about her before he dared to begin to hope. He couldn't let his emotions get in the way of a hunt, especially not this one. If Chuck was right, and as much as Dean hated to admit that the prophet often was, then this was one case the brothers couldn't afford to mess up.

"How far away are we?"

Sam glanced down at his cell phone's GPS. "About another hour. But it was noon in his dream, so we have at least fifteen hours to find this mystery girl."

It was around nine in the evening, so they still had all night and half of tomorrow. That is, if she was to die tomorrow. For all they knew, it could be sometime next week or even next month. Dean drove a little faster though, pressing down harder on the gas, just in case. Something told him that this girl is important, that they have to save her. And he'd be damned if that thing got to her before they did.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N:**_ Wow thank you all so much! I wasn't expecting so many followers/favorites so soon. And I even got a few reviews.

_**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own Supernatural or Harry Potter

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"_I remember." The girl whispered into his ear. Only two words, so simple, yet they held so much meaning._

_His eyes slowly opened, adjusting to the light. But there was no need, he would have recognized that voice anywhere. He did not need to open his eyes to know just who it was that had spoken to him. "Hermione."_

_The witch nodded, a smile forming at the corners of her mouth. "Hey Sammy, miss me?" Though her eyes sparkled with happiness upon seeing him, there was an undertone of sadness in their depths. _

"_You have no idea." The hunter stood up and enveloped her in a fierce hug. It was only then that he took notice of his surroundings. The two stood alone at a beach they both knew quite well, it was their 'secret spot' they visited quite frequently whenever they needed to be away from everyone else. Lake Erie, Ohio. But it was different, His senses were sharper and the colors more vibrant. The sand was softer, the water clearer, the sky bluer, and the air fresher. This might have just been a dream, but it was also real. She was using magic to bring herself to him. Sam broke their embrace, but he didn't let go, still gripping her shoulders as if she would disappear as soon as he broke contact with her._

"_Why are you here? You have never gotten inside one of my dreams before. Are you okay? Whats wrong? I haven't seen you in ages, you just dropped off the face of the planet. What happened to you?" Sam fired question after question, not giving her enough time to answer before he pulled her into his body once more in another hug, afraid to let her go. This time he took advantage of it, memorized the feel of her body, the smell of her hair. Who knew when he would see her again? Even if it was a dream, this was far better than nothing._

_She sighed and pulled away, walking over to the edge of the lake and sitting down. Her long legs reached for the water and sighed in contempt as the cool liquid licked her bare feet. She placed her hands behind her body and leaned back, feeling the warmth of the fake sun on her face. Hermione waited until Sam joined her and sat down as well before she answered him. "Some questions are better left unanswered. And do try not to get too excited, I might not be the me you expect me to be."_

_Sure, Sam was normally the smart one out of the Winchesters, but what Hermione was saying made no sense. "What are you talking about?"_

_In response she held up a gold necklace with an hourglass. "You kept it." Sam stated simply, the pieces falling together. She had told him of the time turner and what it could do. She had told him how it had come in handy back in her third year of Hogwarts. But wasn't she supposed to give it back at the end of the semester? And why didn't she use it to help them out on her many hunts that she was involved with with the Winchester family?_

_She shook her head. "Not exactly. I did give it back after Harry and I saved Serious. But I got it back. How and when is not important, at least not yet. Anyways thats not the point. The point is you don't know me yet. But you will. And soon you will know a different version of me, one you might not be prepared to deal with."_

"_What on earth are you talking about?"_

"_Sam please." The dream version of the witch flickered for a moment before solidifying once again. "I don't have much time. This spell is taking a lot of concentration and strength. I'm still not used to this, delivering dream messages I mean."_

_Sam nodded, understanding the urgency. "What did you come here to tell me?"_

"_This is a warning. I can't tell you what will happen, but just take what I say to heart, okay?" She tried to hide the crack in her voice, the redness of her eyes. But it was no use, Sam could see right through her, read her like a book. He always was able to see the real her, not the facade of bravery she put up to make others think she was in control of the situation. She couldn't hide with him, and she was grateful for that. A single tear trickled down her cheek. _

"_Hey." Sam whispered gently, reaching out a hand to caress her face and use his thumb to wipe away her tear. "Calm down, everything's fine. Just slow down, breath. What happened?"_

_She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths to collect herself. "Divination has always been my least favorite subject, you know that. I always thought the teacher was a fraud and the class was pointless." She opened her eyes, her deep brown orbs watching Sam closely to make sure he was following along. _

"_Turns out its not as hocus pocus as I thought. That crazy old bat was somewhat truthful. After the battle was over, I spent the summer helping restore the castle. I spent a lot of time with my mentor, Minerva McGonagall. We got to talking about a lot of things. I recalled back in third year, Trelawny started a class by predicting my friend Harry's death. In transfiguration class Professor Mcgonagall assured us that it was no big deal. She liked to open each school year by predicting the death of one student. Funny thing about prophecies, they don't happen immediately. Could be a day, or a month, or even several years. I inquired the names of the students that she had predicted would die. Turns out, each and every prediction came true. Everyone Trelawny said would die did, at the final battle against Voldemort. _

"_But thats not the only thing she has been right about. _'When thirteen dine together, the first to rise will be the first to die.' _That was another one of her predictions. Once, at the Burrow after we had brought Harry back from the Dursley's, thirteen of us were gathered around a table when Mad Eye had been proclaimed dead. Remus Lupin stood up, said he would find the body and give him a proper burial. He was the first to rise. And in the battle, he was the first to die. Turns out that woman was right. About everything."_

"_Okay." Sam was still curious about where this was leading. "But all those things came to pass. What does this have to do with what's happening now?"_

_Hermione sighed, wiping a few more tears away furiously. "There was another one. Once I got so mad in her class that I stormed out, knocking over a crystal ball in the process. It rolled out the door and down the stairs. How it managed not to break is beyond me. So I went back to my dorm. After my anger left me, I felt guilty. I still despised the class and disliked her, but I felt bad for leaving like that. So I made up my mind to go apologize. I would politely tell her why divination is rubbish and why I was dropping her class, she deserved that much at least. So I went back up there, but she wasn't herself. Her eyes were glazed over and her voice wasn't her own. At first I thought she was just faking to prove a point to me. I thought that for the longest time, until just recently in fact."_

_The air changed, it grew denser and Sam's lungs constricted, making it hard and even painful for them to draw oxygen into his body. He knew he wouldn't like the answer, but he asked anyways. "What did she say?"_

_Hermione broke eye contact, fiddling with her hands in her lap anxiously._ "The lion will call, the wolf will hear, a reunion of sorrow for all who are near. The doors will close, the foe is gone, until alas, there is but one."

_Sam tried to swallow the lump in his now dry throat. What did that mean, 'until alas there is but one'? One what? His voice was slightly uneasy as he tried to speak his mind. "What do you think it means?"_

_She stood up suddenly, turning away from him. By the sound of her voice there were new tears leaking out of her eyes and cascading down her face. "I have to go, no time to explain. But Sam...please just be careful okay? And remember...Not every sacrifice is worth it."_

_There wasn't any time to ask what she meant, she was already fading and Sam could feel himself waking up. He reached for her, desperate to feel her one last time before they said their final goodbye, but his hand passed straight through her. And with a blink of the eye she was gone. The beach faded not long after. All too soon the dream was over and Sam found himself in a rather uncomfortable position in the passengers seat. _

* * *

Sam slowly opened his eyes, he was unwilling to leave that dream behind but he knew that he had other things to worry about at the moment. He glanced at his watch, he had been asleep for almost an hour, but it felt like only minutes. Sam knew it wasn't a dream, not really. It was real, she was real. Hermione was out there somewhere, and wherever that may be she had made the effort to break into his mind and send him that dream to deliver that particular message. Why she had spoken to him and not his brother, Sam had no clue, but he was just grateful that he had seen her. Dean never told him the full story, he just knew his best friend had disappeared. After their encounter with Bloody Mary, Dean gave his brother the basic summary of that night, but he refused to go too in depth with his explanation or give exact details. Besides that night the topic was never brought up between the brothers, her leaving them being too painful for either Winchester to handle. Sam never thought she was dead, but at least now he knew for sure.

Not every sacrifice is worth it. What did she mean by that? _Worry about it when the time comes. Right now we have a girl to save._ Sam scolded himself, how could he let himself become so distracted by her when she wasn't even here?

Sam could tell Dean was anxious about this case, he was too. There was something about the girl that Chuck described. The brown curly hair, the warm chocolate eyes, the stick magically creating colors. And of course there was the fact that the prophet had said they knew her. Sam wanted it to be her, of course he did. She was his best friend before she left without a trace. He wanted to believe it was her with every fiber of his being, but that was exactly why he couldn't allow himself to hope it was that wonderful witch. And why should he give himself false hope? Sam knew he should probably tell Dean the other details as well, Chuck's description and his own dream, withholding information when going into a dangerous hunt could be fatal. But still Sam wasn't convinced telling his brother was the right choice. Partially because he knew Dean would jump to conclusions and hope it was her. Sam didn't want to see the disappointment on his brother's face when he saw it was just some stranger after all. But the other part of Sam, the selfish part, just didn't want to share the dream he just had. He wanted to keep that memory to himself, a moment shared strictly between himself and Hermione.

Sam glanced over at Dean; he was going at least twenty over the speed limit. He wanted to protest and tell his brother to slow down the car or he was going to crash and kill both of them, but he knew Dean wouldn't listen. Dean never listened to reason when she was involved, he always followed his heart over logic. Plus, Sam didn't care about his brothers speeding as much as he normally would have. The only thing he could think of at the moment is finding this girl and saving her before it was too late.

The boys arrived in Castle Rock, Colorado, at ten forty six at night. They stopped by a drive through fast food joint because it was one of the only places still open. Dean parked the Impala in the lot outside the restaurant so they could eat their food. Sam opened his salad and Dean idly picked at a few fries, his mind quite obviously elsewhere.

There was an old saying, something about how you know there is something wrong with a dog when it turns down food. Sam hated this, seeing his brother stressed to the point of not eating. After several minutes of Dean still hardly touching his food, Sam couldn't handle the silence any more.

"Dean I know you want to find this girl. I do too, but it's a little late to go around interrogating locals. We should at least wait for a decent hour. Like tomorrow morning when people are actually awake."

Dean agreed surprisingly quickly, though he didn't seem much aware of what he was agreeing too. His eyes had an odd glaze over them, he was so tired that at this point he was just going through the motions, hardly even awake. At least he was able to drive safely enough, they pulled into the parking lot of a cheap motel without a scratch. The brothers entered a room and collapsed on their perspective beds, both pretending to sleep but too anxious to actually do so.

Somewhere between tossing and turning and trying to relax that night, Sam must have gotten a few minutes of sleep because he could feel Dean trying to poke him awake. Sam slowly opened his eyes to see Dean's face barely a few inches away from his own. He jumped back in the bed with a gasp of surprise, his hand clutching his chest as he tried to regain his breath. Dean, of course, just stared at his brother with a stupid smirk on his face. Jerk.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Sam questioned when his heart rate finally slowed down to a normal pace.

Of course being the smartass Dean is he responded with, "Rise and shine sleeping beauty. We have a case to solve and a damsel to save."

Sam looked out the window; the sun hadn't even come up yet. He groaned as he fell back into bed. "What time is it anyways?"

"Few minutes past five." Dean must see the glare his brother was shooting him because he continued, "look, we don't have a lot of time to find her, and I wanted to get a head start."

Sam took a closer look at his elder brother. On closer inspection his hair was slightly damp and his clothes were clean. He must have just gotten out of the shower. Sam hadn't seen Dean this dedicated to a case in a while; normally he was never up before nine. He probably didn't even fall asleep last night, despite the deadness in his eyes last night. But considering the circumstances Sam didn't pester him about it like he normally would have.

Of course Sam hadn't mentioned anything about the guest star in his dream, he didn't want to give his brother yet another thing to worry about. Dean had enough on his plate as it was without the added stress of a familiar face. Plus Sam didn't want to get his brothers hopes up if he was wrong. but Dean wasn't stupid. It appeared he had connected the dots all on his own and created his own hypothesis on who this girl was. Of course this was bound to happen, there wasn't a day that went by without her passing through the mind of the eldest hunter. So it was easy for Dean to think about her and connect her to the given description.

Sam groaned again as he got out of bed and headed to the bathroom with a clean set of clothes. It was far too early for this. If it truly was her, and Sam now had hardly any doubts about that, then he just hoped that they made it in time and Chuck's dream would not happen exactly as he said it would. If it was Hermione that they had been sent to save, then he would make sure they did. There was no way he was going to watch her die, he couldn't lose her, not again.

Upon Sam's request and despite Dean's protests, the hunters waited till after the sun came up before they started to drive around the growing town. Sam was using the internet on his phone to hack into the police database to see if anyone looked like they could fit the prophet's description. Dean was scanning the faces of the people walking and driving past, each on their way somewhere or another eager to get on with their busy normal lives. Whenever he found a pretty brunette walk past- which was about every thirty seconds seeing as it was morning and everyone was scrambling to get to work and whatnot- he asked his brother if that one was her, which was a bit distracting for both of them. This would have been so much easier if Chuck had decided to come with them considering it was his dream and all. But for the boys to drive to his house, pick him up, and drive all the way back they would lose a few days and since they didn't know what day exactly the girl was supposed to die, she would most likely be dead by the time they got there.

"Well she isn't in the database, so either she hasn't done anything illegal, or she isn't a local." Sam said, glancing again at the list as he tried to find Chuck's mystery girl.

"Great. That really narrows it down. A brunette that doesn't live here, that makes it so much easier to find her. Damn Chuck, for an author you sure do suck at describing people."

"Calm down Dean, we still have at least four hours to save her. We just need to find an old building that no one goes in, that would probably be where it's going to happen. Chuck said it was dark and empty, so it's probably not next to a bunch of restaurants or stores."

"Well thank you captain obvious. So what? Are we just supposed to ask the locals if they know about any abandoned buildings? Yeah, that won't make us seem like we are serial killers or anything."

After a few hours of driving around looking for an empty abandoned building, they were still out of luck. They had forty five minutes till noon, and no clue where this girl was supposed to be.

Eventually the boys decided to take a break and were parked outside of a Starbucks; Dean needed the caffeine due to his lack of sleep. The brothers tried to look calm and collected, if not for their own sake then for the sake of each other, but it was no use. Inside they knew that both of them were panicking. The girl was going to die and it would be their entire fault for not finding her earlier.

They were losing hope when a man about Sam's age, maybe a year or two older, with the reddest hair either of them had ever seen and wearing very strange clothes came up and knocked on the window of the Impala. Dean looked at him strangely; he had seen that color of hair before…

"Sorry to disturb you, but do you know where the old fireman practice building is? I'm meeting my friend for… um… lunch and I don't want to be late." He stammered with a thick British accent.

The last part was said very quickly, a good sign he was lying. "Sorry, we aren't from around here, can't help you." Dean brushed him off easily enough, still trying to figure out if he had seen this guy before.

The man looked worried, but covered it up quickly. He nodded thanks and ran off.

Dean turned to Sam, watching the ginger's retreating form. "Was there something familiar about him or is it just me?"

Sam shrugged, though he knew his brother was right. He had never seen the man before in person, but he remembered glancing through an album of moving pictures. Though he couldn't remember the guys name, the dread was growing in Sam that the mystery girl was in fact a ghost from the boy's past. "Don't know. But its worth a shot. Now lets find this place."

They quickly found a group of locals going out for lunch and asked them for directions to the fireman's practice building. The Impala pulled up near the building at eleven forty. Dean parked the car a little bit away so no one would know they were here. Sam didn't know what to expect so he grabbed a gun, salt, holy water, and Ruby's knife from the trunk. Dean armed himself as well, they should both be well prepared for whatever they encountered.

The building was three stories high and made completely out of metal. Not that big, maybe able to have four small rooms on each floor. A few of the windows were open, the inside obviously burnt and black. Sam looked at Dean and they both nodded to show the other they were ready. They walked up to the door. Just before the hunters stepped into the building, Sam catch sight of a large barn owl that appears to be carrying a roll of paper perched on a nearby fence. There was only one person they had met who was able to deliver messages via owl...

Dean must have seen his brother staring at something because he mouths 'you okay?'

Sam turned his head to look back at the owl only to notice it had disappeared. He turned back to Dean and nodded his head, indicating he was ready to go in.

It was dark, but the sunlight streaming in from the window made it just light enough to see. The boys quickly and quietly walked around the building, bottom floor to top, and saw nothing. "No one's here Dean. Maybe we got lucky and she isn't supposed to die today?"

"Yeah, maybe." He didn't sound convinced but he started walking out to the car anyways. Neither of them said what they were both dreading; what if they chose the wrong building and she dies anyways? Right before they reach the door leading outside they stop. Four loud cracks could be heard echoing through the building. They pause. It's silent for a few seconds then there are crashes and bangs and flickers of light coming from the cracks in the building. Sam carefully watched Dean's face to see if they were thinking the same thing. So many emotions cross his face that he wasn't sure. Sam wants it to be true but he doesn't want to assume anything, especially about this, until he sees that Dean has accepted it. A scream from upstairs brings both hunters out of their trance.

'_That scream sounded far too familiar.'_ Both boys can't help but think as they rush up the stairs again.

The fight is unfair, three against one. They all hold sticks producing the flickers of light they saw before. Sometimes the light hits its target, but more often than not the intended victim doges and it disappears in the wall. It's too dark to see faces, but even with the lack of light Sam and Dean can tell what they are. They are from her world. And the one that the other three are ganging up on must be the girl they are supposed to save. The girl is clever, dodging most of the lights, countering others. But as skilled as she is she is still outnumbered. She barely has enough time to block, let alone fight back.

Dean shoots one of them in the head, taking him down. That's the good thing about wizards; they can die just as easily as a normal human. The other two notice immediately and are attacking the hunters as well. Green lights are fired everywhere, aiming for any target they can get. Luckily _she _taught the boys enough about her world before she left so Dean and Sam know to avoid the green lights. Sam shot the stick of one of the guys in half, leaving him wandless and defenseless. He charges at the younger hunter and a red light hits him in the back, making him collapse. Sam knows that it didn't kill him so he finishes him off with Ruby's knife. Suddenly it's quiet. Sam looks over at Dean who has taken care of the last one, his brother seems unharmed. They both glance at the girl. Her hand is lowering the wand that must have stunned the one that charged Sam. He walked over to thank her but on closer inspection she is bleeding. Bad. Deep cuts are appearing all over her body, just like Chuck described in his dream. One of the dark wizards must have cursed her before they had the chance to kill them.

"Dean!" Sam called him over to help get her down the stairs and to the car. The clock from the nearby town strikes noon, the mini battle couldn't have lasted more than one minute. This is too familiar, the wavy hair plastered on her face, the slender body, and the amazing fighting skills. Sam knows Dean must know it too, he can see the worry and confusion etched into his brothers' face. They are almost to the door out of here now. Sam's thinking, hoping, and praying, '_it can't be, it can't be, it can't be. Please no_.' But when they make it out into the sunlight they see her face. And it is. It's her. Sam's best friend and Dean's ex-fiancé, even if Sammy wasn't supposed to know that last bit. Hermione Granger. They spent years thinking she was dead, and yet here she was. And she was slowly bleeding to death from deep wounds caused by dark magic.

'_It's official.'_ Sam thinks. '_The universe loves fucking with us.'_

Sam grabbed for her beaded bag which was strapped to her belt. He shoved his arm in, quickly looking for the right vial. It doesn't take long, only a minute at most. But it's still a minute too late. He grabbed the vial in satisfaction, but when he turned his attention back to her Sam can tell it's almost too late. Her face is pale due to loss of blood, and her clothes are torn and drenched in the sticky red substance. Sam tried to take a deep breath to calm down as he ran over to her. He uncorked the vial and slowly with shaking hands poured a few drops of the potion on the ugliest wounds.

He let out a shaky relieved laugh as the potion starts to work its magic and the cuts start to close. She is unconscious, from lack of blood or from pain neither hunter is quite sure. They are just glad that she wasn't awake to witness that bit. From what she had told them that potion could hurt like a bitch. Sam closed the vial and placed it safely back inside the enchanted bag.

Sam turned back to Dean, he was staring at her, his face a mask devoid of all emotion. Sam wanted to say something, console or comfort his brother in some way, but there was nothing for him to say. Together and without a word they gently pick her up and put her in the back of the Impala, letting her lay across the bench seat. Whatever blood is left in the car she can use magic to clean up when she is fully healed. But at the moment the state of the car is the least of the boys' worries.

They are grateful that the motel room is on the ground floor as they carry her inside and place her on the bed, waiting for her to wake up.

"Is there anything else we can do?" Dean asks, still not looking at his brother. He is staring at the witch, memorizing every last detail. He never thought he would see her again, yet here she was.

Sam shook his head. "Not that I can think of. She taught me some things, but not everything. That potion was the best I could come up with at the moment. She can finish healing herself when she wakes up. Or at least she can tell us what to do. Unless you remember every name and use of all those potions."

Dean shakes his head, burying his face in his hands. "How is this possible Sammy? How can this happen?"

Sam was at a loss for words. How was he supposed to know what had happened? Dean was the one who had been there with her when she disappeared, not him. Instead Sam answers his brother with another question. "What happened that night? Tell me the truth Dean. How did she disappear? What happened?"

Dean sighs and lifts his head up. His eyes are red with unshed tears. Not that Sam blamed him, seeing her again after so long had to bring up a bunch of memories. It was hard for Sam as well, he cared about her too, but it was Dean who had been in love with her. "We were on our way to visit you. You were off at college and we missed you, hadn't seen you in a while. She insisted on the visit, she wanted the two of us to make things right within the next couple weeks. We were to be married. She wanted to make sure you were there, front row and everything. She insisted on us inviting you in person. So one day when we were a few miles away from Stanford, we had just finished a case over there; she dragged me along to go see you. Dad had the car. She told me we could just apparate, but I felt like walking, needed some time to think of what to say to you. While we were walking someone in a black cloak found us. Probably a wizard from her world judging by the attire. He..." Dean paused, taking a shaky breath to control his emotions. "He just grabbed her and disappeared. The whole thing couldn't have lasted more than ten seconds."

Sam nodded, trying to take it all in. He had never heard the full story before. Gone, just like that. She had always been so brave, so strong. Sam never would have thought it would be so simple to bring someone like that down. But that's what happened. And he knew Dean blamed himself for it. He would blame himself for not being able to protect her. He would blame himself for not seeing it coming, for not keeping a closer eye on her. And now Sam understand why Dean hadn't told him the story earlier. He didn't want his younger brother to blame himself. It was Sam they were on their way to visit after all. It only makes sense that Sam would feel guilty. And perhaps if Dean had told Sam exactly what had happened right after it did Sam would feel guilty. But now, with her weak and defenseless and almost dead in front of him, Sam can't find it inside himself to feel guilt. He knows what happened but now they have her back. He should feel guilty but he doesn't. Just like when Jess was taken from Sam, he wanted revenge on whatever did this to her. Sure they killed the dark wizards who almost cost her her life, but they were most likely not the ones who had taken her from the boys in the first place. Sam wanted to find who had done this and hold them accountable. He wanted to track down every witch or wizard and find the one who had stolen their Hermione, his best friend and Dean's fiancé.

Sam was nearly shaking with rage. "We will find them Dean. We will track them down and make them pay. No one touches someone we love and gets away with it."

Dean nodded but Sam could tell his brother was only half paying attention to what he said. He was too focused on the wounded girl in front of them. Dean was hardly blinking as he studied her. He watched the gentle rise and fall of her chest signaling she was breathing. He watched the smaller wounds slowly start stitching themselves up due to the potion. He watched as her face became flushed more with color, making her look alive again. Sam knew his brother wanted to do more for her, he did too, but there was nothing they could do until she woke up. Sam couldn't risk giving her the wrong potion or trying a spell with her wand and end up messing it up. Instead the boys sat in silence, watching the smartest witch of her generation slowly heal and waiting for her to wake up. Sure, watching someone who was unconscious might seem a tad bit creepy or stalkerish, but at the moment they honestly didn't care. She was alive and for now she was safe. After everything the three of them had been through together they figured they deserved the right to keep an eye on their friend as she healed.

Dean sat on one side and Sam sat on the other, each of them grasping one of her hands and hoping beyond hope that she would wake up. Not too soon though, Dean would need some time to compose himself and Sam would need some time to think about what all this meant. The dream, her randomly showing up, everything. And Hermione would definitely need some rest for her body before she was ready to be up and active again, even with the help of magic.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N:**_ Hello readers! If you like the story don't be afraid to leave a review, I would love some feedback. Thank you my lovelies!

_**Disclaimer: **_I do not own Supernatural or Harry Potter.

Hermione woke up, confused. She was smart though; she kept her eyes closed and breathing soft so as to appear sleeping until she had created an escape plan. She was aware she was in an unfamiliar environment. She was aware that that curse should have bled her to death. She was aware both of her hands were occupied and she was aware of what had happened before she passed out. She knew she was only alive because two mysterious men (She had not been able to make out faces in the midst of the battle) had come in at the last minute and saved her life. They had killed the three wizards she was supposed to take back to the ministry for trial and she suspected that it was those same men that she was with now. They had kidnapped her. But they had also saved her. She knew she had been hit by Sectumsempra, a curse that would not be able to be healed the muggle way. These kidnappers must have had basic wizard healing skills for they had somehow managed to draw out the dark magic and mostly heal her wounds. All that was left now was the dull aching all over, and the previously large and life threatening cuts that had now been reduced to simple scrapes. There was always the chance that her saviors had simply meant to heal her, but that was not likely. People always had an ulterior motive.

It had been eight years since the final battle at Hogwarts, Hermione was twenty six now. At first all she wanted was to leave all the fighting behind, become a healer at Saint Mungos, help those who needed it. But then the Minister of Magic just _had_ to offer everyone who survived a job as an auror. And she wasn't ready to leave behind her two best friends Harry and Ron, not yet. There were still evil wizards lurking about, they still had work to do. But as soon as they were done she would quit being an auror and become a healer. So many wizards had fled the country after the war that the Ministry had to invent a new branch called transfer aurors. It had taken her eight years to take that job, this was her first case. And of course she had to go and get herself abducted.

After a moment of panic she quickly scolded herself for being so stupid. She reached within her to her magical core and used her magic to search for something. Within seconds she found it, her wand. She could feel its power aching to be held by her again as it had when she first purchased it. If the wand can choose the wizard or witch could it also tell when they were in trouble or dying? Harry had said something about his wand acting of its own accord when facing Voldemort on his way to the Burrow. She hadn't believed him then of course, but now she was beginning to doubt her judgment. It was almost as if her wand were calling for her. It wasn't far, just on the bedside table to her left. Whoever had taken her was either rather smart or rather stupid for leaving it there. They could be showing her she had nothing to fear and she was safe, or they could have simply forgotten it could be used as a deadly weapon.

She would have to do this quickly and quietly if she hoped to succeed. If she could just reach her wand then she could get out of here within seconds... it was risky, she could just end up being in more trouble, but then again she might be in just as much danger if she didn't at least try. She had been in Gryffindor for a reason back at school. A person could chose to be brave, and she knew that if she wanted to get out of here alive she would have to choose to be brave. What would Harry Potter do?

With a quick inhale of breath and without another thought she freed her hands and jumped out of the bed and reached for her wand, not bothering to care if she woke those whose hands had fallen from her grasp. She grabbed for the beautiful carved wood, feeling safe now that the familiar stick was back in her possession. She would have left that exact second had she not been stopped by that deep voice.

"Hermione." That distant yet familiar voice that she felt as though she should know, perhaps she had heard it before in a dream? Relief, sadness, hope, betrayal, caring, love, pain, so many feeling in that word alone. It was so full of raw emotion that she mentally cursed herself as she turned to face the man who had spoken.

He was taller than her by a few inches but still several inches shorter than the other man in the room. The greenest eyes she had ever seen, green enough to rival Harry's, stared deep into her own chocolate brown ones. He reminded her of a tiger. Fierce green eyes that could blend in well with a forest but still held gentleness in them. There was a sort of protective air around him, if you were to cross him or someone he cared for you would pay dearly. He was a killer. She could see the guilt of bloodshed but also the enjoyment of it buried in the depths of his irises. Perhaps he didn't particularly like killing but he believed that those who died by his hands deserved it. She should have been scared, being in a room with an experienced killer, but somehow she knew he had no intention of hurting her. There was also the gentleness of a domestic house cat in his eyes as though he were begging his human to show him affection. Perhaps she should have taken Harry up on his offer to practice Oclemancy with him before she accepted the job of a transfer auror. But even without getting inside this man's head she was able to tell these things about him. She could read his eyes so easily like a book, almost as if he were begging her to understand. She raised her wand and pointed it at his throat but he made no move to defend himself.

"How do you know me? Why did you kidnap me? How did you know how to save me?" She stared into his eyes, searching for an answer. Instead what she saw was the pain in his eyes as though he were remembering a painful memory. "Answer me." She ordered no intention to truly use magic on him but also wanting her questions to get an explanation.

"Actually that was me." The taller man spoke up, biting his lip gently to try and keep his emotions in check. If the other guy was a Tiger, this one was a Wolf. Like a dog, cute and friendly after they grow to trust and love you, but still dangerous. Wanting to have a family and a home that he loved but still able to rip out your throat at a moment's notice. Where green eyes shone with pain, these blue ones shone with hope. He was a killer too, but gentler on the surface. He didn't ask to be a killer; he was forced into the pack. He didn't like it but it was the only life he knew. This Wolf craved domesticity while the Tiger needed to roam free. Where the wolf wanted a new life and a pack, the tiger would be fine on his own with perhaps one or two others.

Well that shocked her. She had always been okay at reading others, but never this good. Books were easy, everything laid down right in front of her. But people were a tad more complicated. She should not have known this much about either of them from only knowing them for a few seconds. There was probably an answer to that, but she reasoned with herself that that was a minor issue and to worry about that later.

"Explain then." Hermione eyed him expectantly, not moving her wand from pointing at the tiger's throat.

"Okay, easy does it. Take your wand away from my brother and I will tell you everything."

She had no reason to trust him. They had kidnapped her. But she could hear the honesty in his voice, she could see the sincerity in his eyes, he was telling the truth. Slowly she lowered her wand, but she still held tightly to it just in case.

"My name is Sam Winchester; I am twenty six years old. This is my brother, Dean Winchester. He is thirty years old." He explained in a gentle voice, trying not to look threatening and trying to hold his emotions realized he had stopped speaking and decided she should introduce herself. "Hermione Jean Granger, twenty six. But you already knew my name. My question is how?"

The wolfs eyes were beginning to get watery, something she had done had triggered something. The tiger had a stony expression, giving nothing away.

The brothers exchanged looks, having a silent conversation with their eyes. Oh how Hermione regretted not learning Oclemancy. They seemed to have come to an agreement as they looked away from one another, the one named Dean nodding slowly, a small trace of pain evident in his eyes.

Sam began speaking. "My brother and I, we are hunters. We track down beings of the supernatural and get rid of them before they can kill again."

Hermione's knuckles turned white as she clenched her wand. Just her luck to run into a pair of hunters on her first out of country mission. "I read about hunters. I know what you do. So what? You healed me just so you could have your own fun and kill the witch yourselves?" Her hand trembled slightly, but other than that she was careful not to let her fear show.

"No, of course not. Nothing like that." The wolf's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "We had a friend once. A witch. An actual witch, not one who gets their powers from demons and the sort. It took a little while for us to fully trust her, but she was the most wonderful girl we had ever known. Smart and brave and witty. She, like you, was British and said she had just graduated from a school called Hogwarts. She came to America to get away from everything, she said something about a war and it had affected her enough for her to want to leave the country."

That last part was a lie, or at least part of it was. But Hermione decided she would get the full truth out of him later. He continued to explain, pausing occasionally to take a breath and get control of his emotions. "She told us all about you. About how you and two of your friends single handedly defeated a dark wizard at the age of eighteen. She said you were heroes. She traveled with us for a while and helped us with demons and ghosts. She was brilliant."

Hermione noticed that he was talking about their friend in past tense. He kept using the word 'was'. Almost scared to get the answer, she asked anyways. "What happened to her?"

Sam stopped and for a brief moment he let his composure slip away, revealing the pain. He quickly recovered and answered his voice breaking. "We don't know. She was taken from us. It has been years since we have seen her. Something took her and we were too late. We couldn't save her."

Hermione was speechless. She partially wanted to comfort the man, those big brown eyes so full of pain. Wait, weren't they just blue? Perhaps Hermione had just seen them wrong at first. The point was no puppy deserved to look in so much pain. But she knew there was nothing she could say. She was all too familiar with the pain of losing someone important, a simple 'I'm sorry' was not going to cut it. The most she could do was listen in silence, allowing him to know she understood. The room seemed to have dropped twenty degrees with all the sadness floating around in it.

The other part of her wanted to know who this mystery girl was. The said she had gone to Hogwarts and had been involved in the war. Hermione quickly racked her brain for any memory of hearing about a fellow classmate moving to the states or going missing. Probably not a Slytherin if they had claimed the trio to be heroes. Nothing came up. But then again, it wasn't like she had kept tabs on every student who went there. It was also likely that they weren't even in Hermione's year so she wouldn't have known them. Not personally anyways.

Well at least they didn't kill her. That was a comforting thought. "Why should I trust you?"

"You have no reason to." The wolf agreed. "But we did just save your life."

Not wanting to lower her guard but wanting to trust them, she slowly slipped her wand back into her pocket. They did have a point; if they wanted her dead they had plenty of time to do it while she was unconscious.

She was about to respond when a tapping at the motel window made everyone turn their attention to it. Hermione absentmindedly flicked her wand and the window flew open, allowing a small barn owl with a note tied to its leg entered the room. She walked over to it and untied the note, skimming it quickly. It was from Ron. Crap, how could she forget about Ron?

She quickly pulled out a paper and pen from her beaded bag and scribbled down a reply telling him she was alive and the dark wizards were taken care of. She looked up only to see the brothers staring at her.

"Right, sorry. We, as in us magical folk, send our mail via owl. Hope that doesn't bother you too much. Umm...where are we, exactly?"

Dean didn't look like would be ready to talk anytime soon, so Sam answered. "Castle Rock, Colorado. The Comfort Inn, room one thirteen."

Hermione nodded her thanks and quickly added it to the note before tying it to the owl and sending it off.

"Well it was a pleasure meeting the two of you and I thank you for saving my life and not killing me on the spot. However as this is my first out of country mission as a transfer Auror, I was assigned a partner and had best get back to him. He will be by in a moment to get me then we will go back home. So thanks again for your hospitality, but I'm off." She grabbed her wand and her bag and prepared to leave the moment Ron apparated into the room.

"Wait, what?" Sam asked, blinking slowly in his confusion. "You mean you are just going to leave us?"

"Well yeah. That was the plan." Hermione stated uneasily. There was something about these boys, something familiar as though a memory of hers was trapped in the depths of her mind and was trying to scratch its way to the surface. She felt safe with these two, she felt like she was home with them. And it bothered her. She had never seen them before yet she felt as though she could trust them with her life. She knew it wasn't some magic making her feel this way, the boys were obviously human. But even if she knew they would never hurt her, she needed to get as far away from them as possible. It wasn't normal to feel like part of their family when she had barely met them.

"You can't do that." Sam, noticing Hermione's glare, explained. "You just got hit with a really powerful spell. I might have done enough to save your life, but you are by no means back to full health. Your body is in no shape to apparate, let alone apparate to the other side of the Earth."

There was a loud crack and the ginger the boys had seen earlier asking for directions appeared in the center of the room, looking around frantically. He relaxed when his eyes drifted to the brunette witch. He walked over to her and enveloped her in a bear hug. So that's why he had looked familiar, he was a Weasley. Even if he hadn't been around while Dean was visiting, that red hair was impossible to forget.

"Hermione! You're okay! When you didn't show up at the building I panicked and thought I was too late. I found their bodies, but didn't see you. It took me forever to come to my senses and try to get a message to you, but owls aren't as common here as they are back home. Then I got your note telling me where you are and I came immediately. I'm so glad you are okay." He pulled away enough for the girl to breath, a big smile on both their faces.

"So what happened?" The redhead asked. "There were three of them. I mean I knew you were good, but not _that_ good. How did you get out alive?"

"I almost didn't. I got hit by Sectumsempra, almost bled to death. I owe my life to them." Hermione shifted her gaze to the brothers. Ron's eyes widened as if just realizing they were there. "They came in just the nick of time and saved my life. The shot the wizards with guns."

"What's a gun?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. Of course he wouldn't know. "Muggle thing. Anyways they are dead, gone. We don't have to worry about them; the boys took care of them. I'll explain it to the Ministry later."

Ron turned back to Sam and Dean, holding out his hand. "I'm Ron Weasley. Thank you for saving my friend's life, for that I owe you. If there is anything I can do for you before we leave, just let me know."

Sam stepped forward and shook his hand, introducing himself and Dean, who still hadn't said a word sense Hermione awoke. "Thanks I'll let you know. I was just telling Hermione here how it would be best if you two stayed in town for a few days, her body will need time to heal after everything it went through and all."

Ron nodded, understanding completely. "Of course. I brought some money; I'll just go get us a room near yours." He pulled out a few silver coins from his robe pockets before turning to head out the door.

"Ron, wait." Hermione stopped him. "You can't just wander around dressed like that. I thought I told you to get some muggle clothes before coming here? A set of robes and a cloak are far too conspicuous. And Wizarding money doesn't work in the muggle world, much less America."

"Oh." Ron responded, looking down at his clothing and money dejectedly.

"It's fine." Sam insisted. "You guys can just stay here the night. Dean and I don't mind the floor." Dean glared at Sam. "And between the two of us I'm sure we can find a set of clothes for you while you are here."

Hermione spoke up. "No need. I figured this mission wouldn't be as easy as it sounded so I came prepared for anything we would mess up with. I have a few sets of your clothes in my bag Ron. I even made sure they fit you this time."

Ron chuckled and smiled with relief as he grabbed the bag and ran into the bathroom. "Thanks Hermione! You're the best!"

"So that's Ron." Sam commented as he sat down in the chair.

"That's Ron." Hermione agreed as she collapsed back onto the bed. As much as she hated to admit it she was exhausted, forcing one's body to magically heal sure did take a lot out of you.

Ron returned a few minutes later, looking far more normal and less likely to be picked out in a crowd. Besides his height and his flaming red hair he could appear like a normal muggle if he were walking down the streets.

Ron smiled gently at Hermione, noticing the tiredness weighing her eyes down. "Common, you need to sleep. Why don't you go to bed, I'll stay awake and make sure these two don't try anything."

He reached into her bag and pulled out a vial labeled 'sleeping drought' and handed it to her. Hermione smiled thankfully as she drank, making a face as she swallowed. She settled herself under the covers and within moments she was breathing softly, signaling she had fallen asleep.

As soon as she gave in to the sleep Ron whispered a few spells and a curtain appeared around the bed, giving her some privacy. Another spell, _silencio_, and he put his wand away, immediately shifting to a more serious demeanor.

"So what are you? You have no magic yet you claim to have saved her life. How did you know what to do? Who are you? What are you?"

"Oh calm down. If we had wanted to hurt her we would have done so by now." Dean surprised everyone by being the first to answer. Apparently it was easier for him to talk without having to see his ex-fiancé who didn't remember him. "We are Dean and Sam, like my brother said."

"I saw you two earlier." Ron narrowed his eyes at them. "Why does it just so happen that you two happened to be at the right place, right time? How could you have saved her unless you knew something about magic? What if you two are actually dark wizards yourselves intent on killing her after she trusts you enough to tell you all our secrets?"

"Well you are a feisty one, even for a ginger." Ron glared at Dean for the comment.

Sam decided to butt in to prevent the two from killing each other. "Calm down, both of you. Ron, I will explain if you are willing to listen."

* * *

"So you mean to tell me you knew her ten years ago and she stuck around for five years, disappeared for five, and now she just showed up?"

Sam and Dean exchanged glances before the younger one spoke up. "Well, yeah. I mean it's the truth. If you don't believe me you can use that truth potion on us or something, but you will just be hearing the same thing."

"And you expect me to believe that you two just happened to be in the right place at exactly the right time to save her life?" Ron stared at them suspiciously.

"Like we said," Sam explained, for he was far more likely to be patient with the wizard then Dean was. "We have a friend, a prophet. He told me he had a dream that someone from our past was in danger, so we got here as quickly as possible."

Dean glared at Sam, still not over the fact that Sam hadn't told him they knew the person until after they saw who it was.

"Even if you are telling the truth- not that you are, just saying what if- that's impossible. She has spent the past few years at the ministry with Harry and me as Aurors. She has never even been to the states before. I'm pretty sure I would know if one of my best mates had disappeared for nearly five years."

"Well you are a wizard and we are hunters. Both our worlds are full of some pretty crazy stuff." Sam tried to reason. "I'm sure there is some explanation for this somewhere."

Ron nodded, he was trying to have an open mind and try to accept what they were saying as truth, but it was hard. "Well perhaps it wasn't actually her. Maybe it was a shape-shifter or someone on Polyjuice or something."

Dean slammed his fist into the table, letting out some of his anger. "Don't you think I know my Hermione when I see her? The woman I was with for four years? My friggin _fiancé? _That is the Hermione we knew, I'm certain of it."

"Okay, I'm not trying to insult your memory or anything. I just don't see how that is possible. I don't see how any of this is possible." Ron ran a hand threw his hair in dissbelief, still trying to come to terms with what he was hearing.

"Neither do I." Sam, ever the reasonable one, interjected before a fight started. "But somehow it is. We just have to find out how so we can fix it."

Ron sighed and ran a hand through his red hair again. "Look, you two seem great and all; I know you would protect her. But we are from different worlds, different sides of the world. If or when she does remember, I don't want to lose my best friend because she decides to run off with you two."

Sam sighed, he could relate to the Weasley boy. "I understand that. But you need to understand that she is important to us. She was my best friend and almost Dean's wife. We love her just as much as you do. We don't want to lose her either."

"Why can't she just stay with us?" Dean complained. "You can still talk to her with your creepy owl messages and you can still pop up out of thin air to see her when you get bored. We can't do that. It's only fair for her to stay with us considering she is my fiancée."

"Was." Sam corrected, earning him a glare from Dean and a shocked glance from Ron. "She _was_ your fiancée. She doesn't even remember us now. None of us," he pointed a finger to himself and the other two men in the room, "have any right to lay any claims on her. It is her decision. You two can stay here until she had healed enough to apparate, then she can decide for herself whether to stay with us or go with you."

Ron nodded, thinking it over. "Bloody Hell, why does life always have to be so complicated? Fine. When she is well enough to travel she can make her decision. When she does neither of us can complain nor try to guilt her into choosing a side."

"Fair enough." Sam nodded; he was impressed by this Weasley guy. Sure Hermione had told them all about Harry and Ron, but he still had not expected him to handle the situation as well as he was.

Sam glared at Dean until he rolled his eyes and gave in to the demand. It was settled, the choice was all Hermione's.

* * *

"Do you think it's really her?" Sam asked after glancing at the sleeping forms of Ron and Hermione.

Dean sighed, knowing the question would come up eventually. "I don't know what I think. I want it to be her, but at the same time I don't. She isn't the same."

Sam nodded. They had been separated from her for five years, things were bound to change. But her forgetting them completely? That was as unlikely as it was painful. He remembered his dream. "_And soon you will know a different version of me, one you might not be prepared to deal with"_

"What happened to her? Whatever took her, do you think they altered her memories?" Sam glanced again to the sleeping forms of the magical people.

"Possibly, most likely. Either way it sucks that she doesn't know, doesn't remember. Do you think there is a way to get her memories back?"

"Probably. Most magic has a counter spell. She told us that once. But if we can't find one there is always-"

"No." Dean interrupted his brother before he could finish talking. "I know what you are going to say, and that is not happening. He is staying out of this."

"Common Dean. I'm sure Castiel can do _something_ for her. Or at the very least he can tell us what to do to help her."

"Go to bed Sam." Dean said firmly as he rolled to his side,his back facing Sam signaling that the conversation was over.

Sam rolled his eyes and turned out the light. He knew they would have to finish this conversation later when his older brother was being less difficult. Sure it was great to have Hermione back, but it was also painful. She wasn't _their_ Hermione. This Hermione was still the rule following cautious Gryffindor she had been years ago, before the brothers had met and changed her. This Hermione was still suffering from paranoia from the war. This Hermione was the Hermione they met at that restaurant all those years ago. The Hermione who knew about hunters and monsters and demons but had never experienced them first hand .The Hermione who didn't trust them but wanted to make peace. This Hermione was the Hermione from the wizarding world, she wasn't _their_ Hermione.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N:**_ Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed! You are all great! Feedback is always great (hint hint please review).

_**Disclaimer: **_I do not own Harry Potter or Supernatural.

* * *

_She glanced through her notes, occasionally tapping her wand in her pocket out of nerves. Sure this was only her first day in the States, but she wanted to succeed. This was her first task as a transfer Auror; she couldn't afford to mess it up. The ministry had sent her here with hardly any information other than one of their Death Eaters had been freed by someone, they didn't know who. After the final battle a lot of Voldemort's followers had been rounded up and thrown in Azkaban, but not all of them. It was suspected that one of his followers had been the one to let the Death Eater free, although the motives were still unknown. So that's why she was here, sitting at a crowded restaurant in the heart of New York City, not far from Central Park._

_She glanced over her notes again and again, trying to see if she had missed something. As far as she could tell the trail ended here, right in the middle of one of the most crowded cities in America. She took a sip of her tea, not wanting to let her frustration get the better of her and make her explode in the presence of so many people. She glanced around noticing two rather attractive men walking in with an older guy, maybe their father? She shoved the thoughts from her head almost immediately; she could not afford to be distracted by a couple of boys right now. She tried not to think too much about it when they chose the booth right behind her._

_It helped when her cell phone rang to distract her. She was once again grateful that she and Harry had succeeded in teaching Ron about muggle technology, as an owl would be far too slow considering the distance. Oh how she missed her friends, Harry and Ron both. What she wouldn't give to have either of them with her right now. _

_But of course not because' _Hermione's the brightest witch of her age' _and_ 'oh you can handle it all alone, we believe in you'.

_She wanted so badly to do well on this mission. Of course she was the only one they had sent out of country for this task, but she had been assigned Ron as a partner to help her if she called for it. She asked excitedly,"Got any new information for me yet? So far I'm still stuck on-"_

_"Not exactly." The ginger admitted. Hermione could almost see him wincing at the lecture he was going to get for interrupting her._

_"Then why did you call? I'm kinda on a time schedule in case you didn't know."_

_"I get that, I do. I'm calling because there is nothing to tell you. Like there is literally nothing. No sightings, no mysterious attacks, nothing in the news or papers, nothing at all. The last thing we have on it was an attack in central park, but that was days ago, before you got there. It has been quiet, too quiet. Almost like it knows you are after it and it wants to avoid getting caught."_

_"Okay..." she said slowly, processing the information. "So not only is a soul sucker on the loose, but it's smart too. How do you suggest I catch it? It's already taken two peoples souls; I can't risk it taking another." She mentally cursed as she realized she had said that far too loudly. The boys in the booth behind her were staring at her, she was sure of it. She could feel all three pairs of eyes burning into her back. She lowered her voice and continued. "If it can tell I'm here then it has to be somewhere close right?"_

_"That would make sense. Spend the next day or two scoping out the place, talk to locals, read the paper, go on walks and look for anything out if the ordinary. Just be careful, stay safe, okay?"_

_"Okay." She agreed. "Gotta go, I'll talk to you later." She clicked the end button and stuck her phone in her pocket just in time to see the attractive boys walking over to her, badges in their hand. Just perfect._

_"Agents Tyler and Perry. Can we ask you a few questions?" The shorter one asked in a demanding voice. He looked about her age while the taller one was a few years younger._

_"Of course agents." She responded politely, narrowing her eyes as she said 'agents.' There was no way these two could be real F.B.I. The one introduced as Agent Perry had a haircut that was definitely not F.B.I. approved. And had he signed his name as Han Solo? "What can I do for you?"_

_Han Solo asked the first question. "We are working a case about the two people who were perfectly normal but one day seemed to go insane before disappearing and their bodies being found dead in the park. Would you happen to know anything about that?"_

_"I'm sorry; I just got here not too long ago. I'm afraid I'm not caught up on the recent disappearances." She was starting to get suspicious. They were trying to find the exact same creature she was? Were they the dark wizards who had let it free? But they were looking for it too, perhaps they lost it._

_'Agent' Tyler handed out a business card to her; she could tell they trusted her words as much as she trusted theirs. "Well if you think of anything ma'am just give us a call."_

_"Of course. Have a good day." She took the small rectangular paper and turned back to her notes, silently signaling to them that the conversation was over._

_As they walked away she sent a silent tracking spell on them. They knew more than an average person, perhaps as much as Hermione herself knew. She would have to keep an eye on them while she was here, just in case._

_Later that night, she followed her tracking spell to the hotel the boys were staying at. Again she mentally cursed herself for not asking to borrow Harry's invisibility cloak before she left. Thankfully the room was on the ground floor so she could still peek through the window but she would have preferred being able to get in there and see it all up close._

_It didn't take a genius to figure they were not just normal people. Even someone as dense as Crabbe would have been able to tell there was something up with them from looking in the window. There were books and papers laid out on the table, notes and newspaper articles taped to the walls, and a website she couldn't quite see was open on the laptop. She couldn't see the words from her distance, but she could tell from the pictures on the papers and in the books that they were full of information on creatures and monsters of the supernatural._

_Well that was good; at least they weren't dark wizards. But what was a family of hunters doing here? She had read a little about them before coming to America, but not in excessive detail. She knew they hunted ghosts and demons and the like, and they were not particularly fond of witches. Of course what they considered witches were muggles who gave their soul to a demon for powers. They had probably never encountered a real natural born witch before. If they found out Hermione's true identity they would probably kill her in a heartbeat. That was the way of a hunter, kill first ask questions later. She wished now that she had read more about them considering they were now a very real danger to her, but she figured the Death Eater was more of a problem. As long as she stayed out of their way she would have nothing to fear._

_Everything was going according to plan. She had successfully managed to avoid the hunter family while closing in on the escaped Dementor. If everything continued to go as well as it was, which was doubtful but still possible, then Hermione should be able to catch it tonight and be back in London by tomorrow._

_On the night of the third day in New York she wandered deep into Central Park, silently following the Dementors trail. She was almost there; she saw the edge of its cloak disappear around the corner of the path. She ran after it, not noticing the human following her. That is until he gasped and distracted her. It was only for a moment but it was enough for the Dementor to notice and blow a gust of wind at her, pushing her off her feet. She tried to reach for her wand but it was no use, the Dementor had already began the dementors kiss. She was cold and getting dizzy, it wouldn't be long till her soul was ripped from her body. With the last of her effort she reached for her wand and thought back to that day in number twelve Grimmauld place the summer before sixth year. Harry Ron and herself were sitting around a magical flame, just laughing like normal teenagers, not worrying about Voldemort or the end of the world, just a few friends laughing and smiling. She silently said the spell and her otter made of blue light chased the Dementor away from herself. She lowered her wand, panting slightly due to the lack of energy from the powerful spell and the Dementor trying to separate her soul from her body._

_The man who had been following her was the same one who had posed as an F.B.I. Agent a few days ago. He ran over to her, not sure what to do._

_"Chocolate." She pleaded her voice hoarse. "Get me chocolate. Please."_

_He nodded and ran off, hopefully to do as he was asked. She didn't care if he was a hunter; if he was willing to help her then she was thankful. True, she was surprised he didn't kill her on sight considering what he just saw, but then again not everyone in every group is completely evil. There were always a few exceptions. Draco Malfoy had proved that. After the war his father had been locked up, but he and his mother were free to live normally. Harry himself testified that Narcissa Malfoy had saved his life during her trial, thus freeing her from all charges._

_The hunter was back within minutes, chocolate in hand. She ate a few pieces quickly, thankful that the effect was almost immediate. It also helped a lot that the chocolate tasted way better than __Madam Pomfrey's healing potions. Naturally the hunter asked for an explanation, but he seemed to understand that she couldn't tell him right here. Too many muggle ears to overhear. That was the bad thing about New York, even at night the streets were still crowded with people. The city that never sleeps._

_Once Hermione was feeling well enough to stand and walk, Dean led her to his hotel room where she collapsed on the bed. Not too soon after they got there his brother came in, accusing the other hunter of being a womanizer. Hermione was offended, like she would sleep with some guy she just met on the first date. Not that this was a date of course, and if it was it sucked. The witch guessed that she was not the first girl the green eyed hunter had brought back, this guy had experience._

"_It's not what it looks like Sam. She isn't a one night stand. She is….Something. And there was … something attacking her. She did something and made the something go away and then chocolate made it better."_

_Ah. So the tall one was named Sam. But who was the other one? He took his brother to the other side of the room, talking in hushed whispers. Probably deciding the best way to kill a witch. Hermione panicked slightly as the scenarios played in her head. Would they burn her at the stake, or would they give her a less humiliating death? She shook her head, dismissing the idea. She had helped the one and only Harry Potter single handedly defeat Voldemort, the cruelest and darkest wizard of all. There was no way she was going to be killed by some amateur hunters._

"_You two, you're the F.B.I from a few days ago aren't you? Mr. Perry and Mr. Tyler correct?" She interrupted them, trying to get their attention off of whatever they were saying._

_It seemed to work, considering they stopped talking and walked back to her side of the room and stay on either side of her on the bed. The green eyed one spoke first. "Yeah, here's the thing. We aren't really F.B.I, we are hunters. This is my brother Sam Winchester, and I'm Dean Winchester. We go around and kill demons and do exorcists on ghosts." he looked at Hermione as though he was waiting for her to freak out of deny it._

_She nodded, listening intently. So they were Winchesters, not amateurs after all. From what she had read they were kind of like a legend amongst hunters, the muggle version of Harry and Ron._

_The one who was introduced as Sam placed a hand on the girls shoulder. "That thing that was after you, it must have been some kind of demon. It might try to attack you again. I don't know how you got rid of it, but it will come back. But don't worry, we will destroy it. You will be safe; you just have to do what we tell you until it's gone." Ah. So they didn't know she was a witch. Perhaps there was a chance for survival after all._

_She laughed slightly, partially relieved and partially because she knew she could protect herself. "That thing wasn't a demon. It's a Dementor. It vanishes all happy thoughts and makes the air colder around it. It sucks your soul from your body, that's how it feeds."_

_Dean huffed. "Sure sounds a lot like a demon to me."_

"_And how do you know all this? Are you a hunter as well? How did you get rid of it?" Sam asked curiously, perhaps even a little eagerly. They probably didn't meet that many female hunters, what with the stereotype that women were weak and helpless. But screw gender roles, anyone can be brave if they chose to be._

_Well if they were going to be honest with her she could be honest with them, she just hoped her trusting nature wouldn't get her killed today. "I'm not a hunter. I never even met a demon; the closest I have been to them have been through pages in a book. And all the ghosts I've ever met have been nice, well except for peeves, but he's a poltergeist so I guess its okay. And he wasn't really evil, just annoying. I'm a witch." She reached into her pocket and removed her wand, showing it too the boys._

_Noticing the uneasy glanced the brothers were sharing, she continued to defend herself. "I'm a good witch though. I'm not one of the devil worshiping, human sacrificing dark magic witches that you have probably encountered and killed. We channel our magic through a wand, and no one needs to die for us to perform it. I was born with it, like everyone else that went to my school. We go to school at age eleven so we can learn how to control our magic and use it for good."_

_Dean stared at me accusingly, his hands balling into fists. "If you're not evil, then how come you know so much about them?"_

"_I'm a bookworm, I do my research." She responded. "Plus I'm a transfer auror, meaning I go around the world killing the bad guys. I had to know what I might be up against in America." She hoped she sounded convincing, even if she was telling the truth she didn't want them to think any differently. But considering they hadn't killed her yet that was a good sign._

_She continued to explain her life, telling them all about herself and Harry and Ron. She smiled as she retold their happy moments and frowned as she told about the dangers they faced since first year._

_Seeing as she seemed to trust them enough to tell them her life story, they returned the favor. It was obviously hard for the boys to talk about their mother, but eventually they got that part over. They told her about how they moved around a lot due to their father and his mission. Dean described it as justice, Sam called it revenge. They told her about all the schools they went to and about Bobby Singer. They told her about monsters and demons and ghosts. Things were so different in their world than it was in Hermione's world._

_At the end of the night they all agreed that all of them had it pretty hard and they did not envy each other. They had all faced unimaginable troubles that normal people only believed in within movies or books. Dean gave up his bed for her and moved to the couch. Hermione wiped out her wand and set a few spells on it, making it large and comfortable. It was the least she could do; they had spared her life and heard her side of the story so she figured she owed them. The three of them went to bed that night, an unspoken agreement between them. They would stick around until the Dementor was taken care of. Hermione was helping them by making sure it didn't take any more souls and they were helping her by helping her get the creatures back to the ministry._

* * *

Hermione awoke with a feeling of deja vu. She had a dream, though she couldn't remember what it was about. It was almost as if she had relieved a memory, but for the life of her she couldn't figure out what it was. She peaked around the room, Sam and Dean were still out cold and Ron was at the little table the room provided sipping coffee.

She smiled at the sight of him as she stood up and stretched. It was nice to have someone familiar with her through all this craziness.

"Hey." She spoke quietly, her voice still waking up. She stood up and peered over his shoulder. "What's that?"

Ron jumped slightly at the sudden sound, but relaxed quickly when he realized it was just Hermione. He held up the letter he was reading and took another sip of his drink. "From the Ministry. Nothing too important. I told them what happened and they said sake a few days to heal. How are you by the way?"

She shrugged and took the seat across from him. "Fine I guess, considering everything. I'm a lot better than I was yesterday. Then again, I should be thankful I'm even alive. If they hadn't known to use the dittany I would be dead."

Ron nodded, taking another sip of his drink. "Those boys saved your life. They sure do seem to care about you a lot."

Hermione rolled her eyes, trying to hide her slight blush. "Doubtful. They don't know me, so why would they care? It's just who they are. They save people, it's their job."

Ron raised his eyebrow at her, but said nothing. The Winchesters had made it clear that they did in fact know and care about her, but that Ron was supposed to stay quiet about the whole thing. Besides, it wasn't his place to say anything even if he wanted to.

"So have you thought about it at all? About what you choose I mean. Come back home with me or stay with them." He tried to sound nonchalant about it, but he already knew the answer. And it broke his heart. Other than Harry, Hermione was his best friend. He didn't like the idea of her running off into some unfamiliar world with boys she didn't even remember and placing herself in a dangerous situation that could cost her her life on a daily basis. Sure she would do that in the magical world too, but with Ron and Harry by her side.

Hermione bit her lip and stared at the table, unable to look at Ron as she spoke. "Yes, I have thought about it."

Ron sighed in defeat, he didn't want to loose her but he knew that when Hermione had made up her mind there was no stopping her. "It's okay you know. I'm not mad. I understand why you're doing this, and I know the others will too. You got the brains of a Ravenclaw, but there is a reason the hat stuck you in Gryffindor. You can't just read and learn about hunters and the world they live in, you have to experience it firsthand. You gotta be part of the adventure, placing yourself in danger. Just be careful okay? You're my best friend and I don't wanna lose you."

Hermione smiled and lifted her gaze to meet his blue eyes. "Thank you Ron. For understanding, for being supportive. I just... I don't know. I feel like I have to do this, like I belong here, with them. I'm sorry I just, I have to stay with them. I _want_ to stay here."

Ron reached across the table and grabbed her small hand comfortingly. "Hey now, calm down. It's fine, really it is. You don't have to explain yourself. Just...Bloody Hell Hermione, promise me you'll be okay, okay? And keep in touch, send an owl every now and then. Ginny would murder me if you got hurt."

Hermione laughed lightly, surprised and thrilled by how well he was taking this. She was scared that this conversation would turn into a fight, and the last thing she wanted was to leave her best friend on such rotten circumstances.

"I will write, don't worry. Every week."

The ginger smiled, his eyes downcast so as not to show his friend the pain within. "Good. I wish you the best, I do. Good luck figuring things out. And if anything happens, you know we will welcome you home.

"Hermione smiled and nodded. "Yeah I know. This isn't forever. Just untill I figure some things out. It's almost like I should know them, they seem so familiar."

Ron sighed, he knew exactly why his friend felt this way. But he wouldn't say anything. He had made a promise. She had to figure it out on her own. "Well I guess this is goodbye for now. I talked to those two last night, gave them the whole look after her speech. And the longer we draw this out the worse it will be."

He was right. She might have wanted to stay with the boys, but if he didn't leave soon she might be begging him to stay as well. The witch nodded and stood up, hugging her lifelong friend tightly. Hermione's eyes were damp with unshed was Ron, her best friend. She had known him for the majority of her life. Without him and Harry, who was she? How was she supposed to survive? But everyone had to grow up and move on at some point. "Couldn't agree more. Tell everyone I love them will you? Until next time Ron."

He was so tall and warm, so safe. She would miss that. "Goodbye Hermione. See you soon."

Slowly, reluctantly, they released each other. Smiling blue eyes and a face decorated with freckles was the last thing she saw before he apparated back home with a loud _pop_. A single tear fell from Hermione's eye, but she was still smiling. This wasn't goodbye forever, this wasn't the end. Just until they met again. Hermione had been so thankful he was so cooperative, the last thing she wanted right now was to start a fight. Hopefully Harry and the others would understand as well.

"Okay, stop pretending to sleep, you can get up now."

Both Sam and Dean opened their eyes and sat up. Sleeping on the floor was not all that comfortable. They had heard everything, so there was no need to explain.

It was only now that Hermione truly began to doubt her choice. She had chose to stay in a foreign country with men that she didn't know. She bit her lip and sat back down. "So, hunters huh? Who wants to fill me in?"

Dean was the first to volunteer to go on a food run, eager to leave the cramped hotel room. As soon as he left Hermione rounded on Sam. "What's his deal? He calls me by name and doesn't say two words to me sense? Did I do something?"

Sam shook his head and moved over to the table, taking the seat Ron had occupied. "You remind him of someone from his past, thats all. It was a shock to him to see such a famous face. As I said, our friend told us all about you three."

Hermione nodded and managed a small smile. Sam still wasn't telling the full truth, she was sure of that. But she would leave it be for now. Somehow she felt as though she could trust him. And especially when he made that face with those big brown eyes, how could she argue with that?

"Will he be okay?"

Sam shrugged and let out a long sigh. "Honestly I'm not sure. This witch friend we had, he was close with her. It didn't end well. He probably just doesn't want anything to happen to you. It'll be hard at first, but it will get better."

Hermione nodded and took a seat across from the hunter. She didn't want to pry, it was obvious that her disappearance had affected the young Winchester as well. But she had to know, she was nosey after all. "This friend of yours, what was she like?"

Sam closed his eyes in thought, bringing back the memory of her. Her voice, her brilliance, her smell. He tried to convince himself that it was the same woman who sat in front of him now. He knew deep down that it was, but she was different. He remembered his dream. The Hermione he had known had sent him a message. "_And soon you will know a different version of me, one you might not be prepared to deal with. Not every sacrifice is worth it."_

It was the same person, but she had different memories. This one had no idea of the years spent as a hunter, she had no clue just how much she meant to them. She did not love them, this Hermione only stayed because she was curious. This was not the same Hermione that Dean had fallen in love with so long ago. She was the same, but different.

Slowly Sam opened his eyes and looked into those chocolate orbs, realizing just how much of a stranger she was. "She was young when we met, twenty I think. We lost her when she was about the age you are now. It was odd at first, normally we do our job and be on our way, it wasn't like John to take someone with us. But family doesn't end with blood, and she became a part of ours."

Hermione smiled softly as the wolf spoke. It was clear he cared for his friend and missed her very much, but that still didn't completely explain why the tiger was so eager to avoid her. "What was her name?"

Sam's eyes went wide. He didn't want to answer that, but he didn't want to lie to her either. Luckily Dean threw open the door and dropped a bag of food on the table, still not saying a word. The elder brother plopped down on a bed and began eating a slice of pie.

Hermione eyed him, about to protest, it was far too early to be eating that much sugar. But then she saw Sam shaking his head, mouthing words to her.

_Don't. It's his comfort food._

She bit her lip and nodded and silently reached for a breakfast burrito.

"So." Sam cleared his throat, trying to ease the awkward tension in the air. "Enough about us. Tell us your story. I've heard it before, but I'd like to hear it from your point of view."

It was the same story the boys had heard all those years ago back in the hotel in New york when they first met. But then she had been trying to convince them not to kill her, now she seeped to trust them completely. Then she told the main details and the rest came as they got to know her. Now she told all, happy and sad all at once.

The boys paid attention more to her than her words, still wrapping their heads around the fact that she was indeed here in front of them at last. Dean abandoned his half eaten pie, setting it aside forgotten. As she spoke memories of the two of them came back hard, like a punch in the gut. The wounds were old, but they still hurt as though they were fresh. He studied her face, not knowing when it would disappear again.

Sam watched the way she laughed with her whole body, how she moved her hair behind her ears when she was too shy or modest to tell how brilliant she had been. He watched her eyes light up when she told about becoming a prefect, and how they darkened when she told about the casualties of war.

It was the same in many ways, but it was also different in far too many. The Hermione they met all those years ago had just finished the war. That one had hope for a brighter future, hoped that one day everyone would live happily ever after. This Hermione went immediately from the war to being an auror. The was paranoid and had little hope, though she still had the sparkle in her eyes that made her who she was. The other Hermione took time to laugh and have fun, enjoying not having to live in fear. This one knew dark wizards were still at large and took ages to wind down enough to relax.

As they watched her tell her story both Winchester brothers couldn't help but wonder. How had any of this happened? How had she disappeared? Why was she back now? Why didn't she remember?

And Sam had his own question that was always tugging the back of his brain. What did she mean that not every sacrifice is worth it? Who was being sacrificed?


End file.
